New Campaign to Save Lives with Defibrillators

A new television advertising campaign has been launched to encourage Tasmanians to get behind Ambulance Tasmania's life-saving Early Access to Defibrillation Program.

CEO of Ambulance Tasmania Dominic Morgan said the Australia-first program launched this year had already had encouraging support from business and the community but more involvement was being encouraged.

"Since the start in July, Ambulance Tasmania has registered over 270 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) with the program. This is steadily growing, but many more are needed."

"I'm calling on the community and businesses to get behind this life saving initiative and register their AEDs with Ambulance Tasmania."

Under the Program, if a cardiac arrest occurs within a few blocks of a registered AED, Ambulance Tasmania's communications centre will proactively send a text message or an automated voice message to its owner.

The owner is then encouraged, if possible, to take their defibrillator to help the patient.

Importantly, the owner is under no obligation to attend if they choose not to.

Mr Morgan said Ambulance Tasmania was not changing the way it responded to cardiac arrests, but rather improving access to defibrillation in the vital few minutes before paramedics arrive.

Businesses like Zap Fitness, which has 19 AEDs registered, has the very real potential to help save Tasmanian lives.

The Early Access to Defibrillation Community Education Campaign will be airing across Tasmania during November and December to encourage AED owners to register with Ambulance Tasmania.

This campaign is also calling on Tasmanians to have a go – anyone can go to one of these defibrillators and use them to help save another person's life.

Mr Morgan said AEDs were safe and easy to use.

"The AED itself uses voice prompts to guide the user and can only shock a patient if they are in cardiac arrest."

For more information on the Early Access to Defibrillation Program or to register an AED call 1300 979 057 or download a form from: www.ambulance.tas.gov.au/eadp.

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